60 Facts About Dou Jiande

Dou Jiande was a Chinese rebel leader who led the agrarian rebels who rose against the rule of Emperor Yang of Sui near the end of the Chinese Sui dynasty.

In 621, when the Tang dynasty general Li Shimin attacked Wang Shichong the Emperor of Zheng, who ruled the modern Henan region, Dou believed that if Tang were able to destroy Zheng, his own Xia state would suffer the same fate, and therefore went to Wang's aid, against the advice of his strategist Ling Jing and his wife Empress Cao.

Dou Jiande was born in 573, when his birth area Zhangnan County was under the rule of Northern Qi, although subsequently it came under the rule of Northern Zhou and then Sui dynasty.

In particular, once, when a man from his county lost his parents but was too poor to give his parents a proper burial, Dou Jiande was tilling in the fields, but he dropped his tilling and immediately went to help the man bury his parents, and after this incident he became particularly praised among the people.

When his father died, more than a thousand people attended the funeral, and Dou Jiande refused all gifts given him for the funeral.

In 611, when Emperor Yang of Sui was conscripting men for his campaign against Goguryeo, Dou Jiande was conscripted and selected to be the commander of 200 men.

Dou Jiande therefore gathered several hundred men of the region and gave them to Sun to lead, to become bandits at the nearby Gaoji Pond.

Dou Jiande took 200 men and fled to Gao, who claimed the title Duke of Donghai and made Dou Jiande a general.

Dou Jiande become the commander of an army of more than 10,000 men.

Dou Jiande asked Gao to safeguard their homebase, and then led 7,000 men against Guo, pretending to be betraying Gao and surrendering, particularly having Gao publicly execute a woman that Gao claimed to be Dou Jiande's wife.

Guo, not suspecting Dou Jiande, proceeded at once to join Dou Jiande, planning to attack Gao together.

Dou Jiande ambushed and killed him, seizing his army and horses.

Dou Jiande had just defeated Zhang Jincheng and is attacking us, and he is difficult to resist right now.

Dou Jiande fled, and Yang, not believing that he would be able to accomplish much, withdrew.

Dou Jiande returned and gathered the remnants of Gao's army, and he publicly observed a mourning period for Gao.

However, Dou Jiande did not do so, and treated Sui officials and scholars kindly, and therefore at times Sui officials would even surrender their cities to him.

Dou Jiande soon had more than 100,000 soldiers under his command.

In spring 617, Dou Jiande claimed the title of Prince of Changle and changed the era name that his followers used, from Emperor Yang's Daye to Dingchou, thus subtly signifying an official break from Sui.

Xue thus took no further precautions, believing Dou Jiande to pose no further threat.

Dou Jiande instead planned a surprise attack, leading 280 of his best soldiers personally as the forward assault force at night while having the rest of his men trail.

The sun rose when Dou Jiande was almost at Xue's camp, and Dou Jiande, fearful that he would be crushed by Xue, discussed with his men whether to surrender.

Meanwhile, Dou Jiande continued to expand but, knowing that Li, then occupying modern central and eastern Henan, had the stronger army, he sent messengers to nominally submit to Li.

Meanwhile, Li's subordinate Fang Yanzao wrote Dou Jiande, inviting Dou Jiande to meet Li to show his loyalty.

Dou Jiande wrote back in humble and polite terms, but declined with the excuse that he needed to defend an attack from Luo Yi from the north.

Dou Jiande then began to organize his staff into a governmental structure, and he set his capital at Leshou.

In winter 618, after five large birds appeared at Leshou, with an assortment of over 10,000 small birds, and later left, Dou Jiande, believing them to be fenghuang, changed his era name to Wufeng.

Dou Jiande sent messengers to Luo, trying to persuade Luo to submit.

Dou Jiande led his forces against Luo, but could not capture Luo's base at You Prefecture and had to withdraw.

Yuwen engaged him outside the city, and Dou Jiande defeated him repeatedly, forcing him back into Liaocheng to defend it.

Dou Jiande put Liaocheng under siege, and the rebel leader Wang Bo, whom Yuwen had enticed with treasure to help defend the city, opened the city gates and welcomed Dou Jiande in.

Dou Jiande then executed Yuwen and several of his key associates.

Dou Jiande disbanded the large group of Emperor Yang's ladies-in-waiting that Yuwen had brought along, and disbanded the Xiaoguo Army as well.

Every time that Dou Jiande was successful in battle or in capturing a city, the treasures he received were all divided for the soldiers, and he did not personally take anything.

Dou Jiande did not feast on meat, instead eating vegetables and unrefined grain.

Meanwhile, Dou Jiande incorporated many key Sui officials into his government, particularly entrusting Pei Ju with reorganizing his government in the form of an imperial one.

Dou Jiande made Wei Zheng a staff member, while still letting Li Shiji guard Liyang, but holding Li Gai as hostage, as well as Li Shentong and Princess Tong'an, but treating them with respect and care.

Dou Jiande moved his capital from Leshou to Ming Prefecture.

In winter 619, Li Shiji considered fleeing to Tang territory, but was fearful that Dou Jiande would execute his father Li Gai, and therefore attacked Zheng to gain Dou Jiande's trust.

In one of the battles against Zheng, Li captured the Zheng army officer Liu Heita, whom Dou Jiande was impressed with and created the Duke of Handong.

In summer 620, Dou Jiande made another attack on Li Yi, but again could not capture You Prefecture.

Thereafter, Dou Jiande began to suffer more and more military defeats.

Dou Jiande agreed to the peace proposal, and sent Princess Tong'an back to Tang, although he continued to hold Li Shentong.

In spring 621, Dou Jiande defeated Meng Haigong and captured him, keeping him as a general.

Dou Jiande agreed and sent messengers to Wang, promising support, while sending his official Li Dashi to Li Shimin, requesting that he end his campaign against Luoyang.

Dou Jiande then merged the troops from Meng Haigong and Xu Yuanlang and headed from Meng's headquarters at Cao Prefecture toward Luoyang, joining forces with the Zheng general Guo Shiheng, and he defeated several cities held by Tang.

Dou Jiande notified Wang that the Xia forces were on the way, and wrote Li Shimin to again request Li Shimin to withdraw and return the seized land to Zheng.

When Li Shimin discussed this proposal with his generals, most believed that they should avoid Dou Jiande, but Guo Xiaoke disagreed, believing that this was a good chance to destroy both Wang and Dou Jiande.

Dou Jiande suggested for Li Shimin to proceed to Hulao Pass, east of Luoyang, and defend it against the coming Dou attack.

Dou Jiande left his brother Li Yuanji and the general Qutu Tong at Luoyang, continuing the siege, while proceeding to Hulao himself.

Li Shimin then wrote to Dou Jiande, trying to persuade him to end his attempt to save Wang, but Dou Jiande persisted and proceeded to Hulao himself.

When Empress Cao heard this, she tried to persuade Dou Jiande to accept Ling's plan, stating:.

On one day in summer 621, Dou Jiande launched an all-out attack on Hulao, but Li Shimin, wanting to wear him out, declined his challenge, and later during the day, after the Xia soldiers had become tired, Li Shimin launched his counterattack.

Dou Jiande was wounded by a spear, but still fled, but when he reached the Yellow River, intending to cross, he suddenly fell off his horse.

Dou Jiande used his might to occupy the area north of the Yellow River.

Dou Jiande trained and commanded soldiers and gathered talented and intelligent men.

Dou Jiande cut off relations with Wang Shichong and executed Yuwen Huaji.

Dou Jiande spared Xu Gai, and he released Li Shentong.

Dou Jiande was careful and dexterous, understanding and decisive, and his regime appeared to be on the rise.

Dou Jiande finally fell and did not have a good result.

Dou Jiande is portrayed by Hong Kong actor Bobby Tsang in TVB's 1987 series The Grand Canal.